The bite of a Snake cured.

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To C. Anderson, Esq. Surgeon of his Majesty's 72d Regiment.

DEAR SIR,

Fort St. George, Oct. 1, 1798. I AM favoured with your letter of the 8th ultimo, and have no regret that the papers you mentioned are mislaid, as I conceive a deliberate recollection at some distance of time is better than circumstances that could be committed to paper, while the mind was in a state of uncertainty from so dreadful an accident as the bite of a snake. Your own profefsional abilities renders an account given by one who is both physician and patient so highly interesting to the Materia Medica, that I deem it a duty incumbent on me to make your case as public as possible, for the relief of those who may chance to meet with a similar accident. JAMES ANDERSON.

To James Anderson, Esq. P. G.

DEAR SIR,

Arcot, November 13, 1799.

I HAVE the pleasure to send you the history of a case, which was attended with the most alarming symptoms, as a confirmation of the beneficial effects to be expected from the eau de luce, or spirits of hartshorn, in the bites of even the most dangerous snakes. On the 11th of this month, at half past three o'clock, P. M. one of the dooley bearers of the 2d regiment of cavalry in the act of cutting a branch of a tree, about one hundred yards from my house, was bit by a snake on the outside of the left leg a little below the knee. He felt immediately the

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pain stretching up his thigh, and in the course of ten or twelve minutes he was seized with violent spasms all over his body, and fell down apparently without sense or motion. He was then brought to me, when I found all his joints quite stiff, his limbs rigidly extended, pulse hardly to be felt, and jaws fast locked. Having no eau de luce at hand, I put a tea spoon full of hartshorn into a tumbler with a small quantity of. water, and having with difficulty opened his mouth by means of a turnscrew I poured it in, but the power of deglutition being perfectly gone, only a very small part found its way to the stomach. In ten minutes more I repeated the draught, and again a very small quantity got to the stomach; ten minutes after I gave him another dose, when, by holding his head back, the greatest part went down, and in a few minutes he was sensibly relieved, as his joints became more pliable. I now received some eau de luce, and in about ten minutes gave him about twenty-five drops mixed with a little water, which, by holding his head as before, got all into his stomach. He now began to recover his recollection, and upon being asked, pointed that he felt a pain in his breast and the crown of his head. Half an hour after giving the last dose, I repeated it, and in about five minutes he was seized with vomiting, when he brought up a small quantity of green slimy matter, which seemed to relieve him greatly, for he was then able to look about him. I repeated the medicine every, half hour, and after every dose he got a little better, so that at nine o'clock he was able, with a little support, to walk home from my

During the internal exhibition of the medicine the wound was rubbed with it, and seemingly with some good effect. The snake was not killed, so that I cannot say what species it was of, but from the violent effects produced by its bite, I have no doubt of its being a very dangerous one.

WILLIAM MACKINTOSH.

SIR,

To Dr. Anderson, &c.

Calcutta, December 24, 1798.

I BEG leave to enclose you two letters which were given me as introductions to you; one by Sir John Macpherson, Bart. and the other by Sir John Sinclair, Bart. who both being well acquainted with the liberality with which science has bestowed on you all her gifts, deemed your acquaintance of the greatest importance to me in attaining the object on which I have profefsionally come out to India.

I arrived here about two months ago in the Lord Duncan, under the sanction of the Court of Directors, by whom I was recommended to the government here for protection and encouragement in establishing the culture of hemp and flax, as a subject of very great importance to the commerce and national strength of Great Britain, as well as the territorial interests of Asia. I have particular satisfaction in saying what I am persuaded you will read with some pleasure, from an experiment which my friend Dr. Fleming has given me an opportunity of making on a few plants at the botanic garden, that we can obtain, beyond all doubt, from the bemgue of this country, which is the can

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nabis sativa of Linnæus, hemp in its highest perfection, and it is this material only which is used in England for cordage; nor in my opinion has the fibre of any plant or tree been as yet found in all respects so well adapted for this purpose, and on which we can so prudently rely. I have not had an opportunity of making any experiments on flax, but I hope the tissy of this country, which is the linum usitatifsimum of Linnæus, the plants alone in Europe from which this material is obtained, will afford, by proper treatment, flax of a much superior quality. The importance of these valuable plants to a commercial nation such as ours, being found in our territories in Asia of such a quality, will be much enhanced by their being offered on such terms as may not only render us independant of the articles on foreign nations, so necefsary for the support of our royal navy and commerce, but at the same time produce a national annual saving of three or four millions sterling. The removal of some restraints, wise regulations in point of freight, and due encouragement, are still necefsary. It being the good fortune of Bengal to be under so enlightened a governor as the right honourable the earl of Mornington, his penetrating abilities as a statesman will lead him to hear and discriminate what suggestions may be proper in the two first points of regulation and present restraints; and public zeal will, I flatter myself, induce such a patriot as his lordship to confer that encouragement which may be necefsary for so deserving an object, and I hope succefs will make it a conspicuous object of the public advantages attained in his

suits may permit, I wish to form some practical and scientific knowledge of the culture and treatment of the other productions of the soil, such as may be necefsary for aliment, valuable in commerce, or useful in chemistry, as rice, Indian corn, sugar, silk-worms, cotton, cochineal, Indigo, &c.; and, as few are so capable as you in guiding my pursuits after these objects, I hope you will have the goodness at your leisure of、 mentioning the proper authors to consult, and persons to advise thereon. Indeed I would have deemed an interview with Dr. Anderson well deserving my going down to Madras, and I would have availed myself of some of the present opportunities, had it not been that my business is before the board of trade, which will not permit my absence just now. My friend Dr. Fleming will do me the favour of putting this letter in your hands; I have received from him every friendship and civility, in consequence of introductions from his friends in Scotland, and he has moreover a keen zeal for the cause. Any commands you may have for me he will take charge of on his return.

GEORGE SINCLAIR.

To George Sinclair, Esq.

DEAR SIR,

Fort St. George, Jan. 7, 1799. I AM favoured with your letter, together with those from Sir John Sinclair and Sir John Macpherson, regarding your plan of cultivating hemp and flax in these tropical climates.

In respect to flax I have no experience, but have heard that it is cultivated in Bengal for the purpose